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willalove75 · 1 year ago

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Alcina's New Maid Pt. 20 Lady Dimitrescu x Reader

Summary: After recovering from the chaos of the meeting, Alcina shows you the dungeon and distillery. Honoring the agreement the two of you made of not keeping secrets, she also shows you the thing she fears the most.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI.

Tags: Pure unadulterated fluff

Notes: Part 20! So sorry this is late! To make up for it it's extra long at over 8k words! Enjoy💕

Click here for the rest of the series

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For the first time since the meeting you woke up alone. Reaching over to the other side of the bed you were a little surprised to find it empty and the sheets cold. Technically, you woke up alone one other time, but the sheets were still warm and as you woke up Alcina was walking out of the bathroom making her way back to bed. She promptly crawled under the covers and pulled you into her arms and the two of you fell back asleep for a few more hours. Feeling how cold the sheets next to you were was a good indication that Alcina left the bed a few hours ago and hasn’t returned yet. You can’t help but feel a little sad, but you push the feeling aside knowing that she probably has a lot of work to catch up on since she was keeping such a close eye on you for the last week.

As you were getting dressed the breakfast bell rang. The second one rang just as you were finishing getting ready so you hurried downstairs so you weren’t too late.

“Good morning draga mea.” Alcina says as you walk into the dining room. “How did you sleep?”

“I slept like a rock. How about you?”

“I slept wonderfully.” She says with a smile.

Looking around the table, you notice Cassandra’s chair is empty.

“Where’s Cass?” You ask.

The mood around the table shifts and you immediately regret asking. She’s probably still mad at Alcina for what happened at the meeting.

“She hasn’t been to a meal all week.” Bela says, looking at Alcina out of the corner of her eye.

You look over at Alcina and see that her eyes are downturned towards her plate. Right away you notice the sadness in them and the somber mood she was put in.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

Alcina reaches across and places her large hand over yours. “Don’t fret about it draga, you didn’t know.”

“Where is she? I can try and talk to her after breakfast.”

“The dungeon.” Bela and Daniela say in unison.

“Oh.”

“I can bring you down there this afternoon.” Alcina says. Bela and Daniela’s heads snap towards their mother in surprise.

“But mom-” Daniela says.

“I know, draga. It’s time we stop keeping secrets. It’s unfair to not give her the whole picture.” She says before turning towards you. “If you want to, that is. You are not obligated to go down there if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay, we can go down there later. I already know there’s going to be things I don’t want to see. But it’s important to know.”

“There certainly will be. Girls, can you please go down after breakfast to see if your sister has gone on a cleaning rampage or a destruction one? I would hate for y/n to go down there to see it in a worse state than it is normally in.”

“Of course, mother.” Bela says.

“If Cass destroyed it or if there’s guts everywhere we’ll clean it up before you go down!”

“Wonderful, thank you dragele mele.”

(My darlings.)

The rest of breakfast was relatively quiet with some small talk sprinkled in throughout. When the girls were finished they swarmed off to the basement and Alcina sat back in her chair and dabbed at the corners of her lips with her napkin.

“Do you have plans for the day, draga mea?” Alcina asks.

“Not really, how about you? I’m guessing you have work to catch up on, right?”

“Actually I was able to catch up with most of it last night, which was why you awoke alone this morning. Which I apologize for, I tried to finish up before the breakfast bell rang but I wasn’t quite able to make it happen.”

“It’s okay, I get it. I figured you were working, especially since you’ve been keeping such a close eye on me this week. I had a feeling you had a lot to catch up on.”

“Yes, luckily it wasn’t as much as I anticipated but I wanted to get as much done as possible when you were asleep so I could spend the day with you, if that’s alright with you that is.”

“Alcina, if I ever say no to that, take me to the hospital because I’m probably having a stroke.”

Alcina laughs and cups your jaw, her thumb caressing your skin. “Of course, my love.”

She stands from her seat and as she does, a few maids emerge from the shadows and begin to clear the table. “Come, my love. We have much to discuss.” She says, extending a gloved hand out to you.

Taking her hand in yours, you stand up and let Alcina lead you outside towards the courtyard.

“What do we have to talk about?” You ask.

“I believe I owe you answers to any questions you may have. I promised you when Karl was here that after the meeting I would answer any and every question you have for me, regarding anything.”

“Oh right, I totally forgot about that.”

“Yes. So tell me, draga, what is it you want to know?” She asks as she takes a seat on one of the benches and you sit next to her.

“I don’t know, what else haven’t you told me?” Alcina gives you a look and you chuckle and shake your head at her. “Okay, okay. Let’s start with the basement. What really goes on down there?”

“The basement is rather large. The dungeon and distillery are where your questions lie, I’m sure. The dungeon is where the cells are, where maids who have misbehaved or those who have trespassed are held.”

“How many cells are there?”

“Roughly a dozen.”

“Are all of them filled with people right now?”

“No, there are only a few that are holding some maids. We haven’t had any trespassers in a few months so there’s none in there.”

“So the other cells are just empty?”

Alcina’s eyes shift away from you and she takes a hesitant breath before answering.

“No.”

“What’s in there?” You ask and her eyes meet yours for a moment. Guilt fills her eyes and she looks away again. “Alcina, what is it?”

“Before I answer I need to say that what I am about to tell you is something you are not going to like or approve of. It’s one of those things that makes me fearful it will be the last straw for you and you will leave.”

You take her hand in both of yours and squeeze it. “Whatever it is, I won’t leave. I promise.” She nods and takes a deep breath,

“As I’m sure you’ve heard, when maids misbehave they are punished. There are several instruments and devices that are used in punishments, but they are quite brutal.”

“So they’re torture devices?”

Alcina hesitates for a moment before breathing a “yes.”

“Why do you seem so ashamed? I thought it was something you enjoyed?”

“Because I am, talking about these things with you makes me feel ashamed because I know you don’t approve. And I do enjoy it, the screams, the blood, the terror in their eyes, it’s exhilarating. I’ve never felt ashamed of it, at least not in decades, until you came to the castle.”

“I don’t want you to feel ashamed. Of course I don’t approve, and it feels so wrong for me to tell you not to be ashamed, but I love you so much that no matter what it is, I never want you to feel ashamed of it.”

Alcina smiles at you and wraps her arm around your shoulder and pulls you into her.

“The distillery is in the other part of the basement. That is where maids and trespassers are bled into barrels for the Sanguis Virginis.”

“So it’s not just ‘maidens blood’ in the wine? It’s anyones?”

“Precisely. Decades ago it was only the blood of virgin women because it was said to be more pure, but that was a fallacy. Your blood does not in fact change in any way after the loss of virginity.” She says and smirks down at you.

“Well thank god. I would have been screwed if that were the case.” You joke.

Alcina laughs and kisses you on the head. Placing a finger underneath your chin, she lifts your gaze to meet hers. “Even if it were the case, I was not letting you anywhere near the dungeon. I had much better plans for you, my dear.” She says before leaning down and placing a kiss on your lips.

“Well that’s good.” You say after your lips part. “Anything else about down there?”

“Yes, there is one more thing. I believe I’ve told you of the Moroaică, the maidens that turn after receiving the cadou? They live in the dungeons and distillery. But they will not come near you, especially if the girls or myself are accompanying you. Usually when we are around they migrate to different areas of the basement,”

“What if you’re not with me?”

“You should smell enough like us for them to leave you alone, but still I would prefer if you didn’t venture down there alone.”

“I don’t think I want to, honestly.”

“Good.” She says with a smile. “What other questions do you have?”

“Well I’m guessing one of the secrets you were keeping from me was the dragon, right?”

“Yes, that was certainly one of the bigger ones.”

“Will you ever show me its full form?”

“Not until I am certain I can control it without harming you. It is massive and it is difficult enough to control just when I am partially transformed, when I am fully transformed it’s even more difficult. I don’t want to risk it - I can��t.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable. I just want you to know that no matter what it looks like, it’s not going to scare me away.”

‘It’s quite horrid.”

“You’re about to show me a fully-functioning torture room. I can’t imagine the dragon is that much worse.”

“I don’t know about that draga mea. But thank you for always reassuring me anyway.”

“Of course, it’s part of my job.” You say as you lean your head against her. “Oh!” You say, popping back up. “I remember what I wanted to ask you a few weeks ago. You had said that Mother Miranda wasn’t the only thing you were afraid of, what else is there?”

“That I feel is best if I show you.”

“Okay.” You say with an unsure tone in your voice.

“Don’t fret, it’s not a creature or something that can hurt you. Well, it can, but it's more of a weapon.”

“There’s a weapon that can hurt you?”

“Yes. I will explain everything when I show you. But first, let's see if the girls have cleaned up the basement. There is something in one of the rooms I need to get before I show you what it is I’m truly afraid of, anyway.”

You nod and Alcina calls for the girls. Bela and Daniela arrive in a swarm and emerge in front of the both of you.

“How are things in the dungeon?”

“Not as bad as I would have thought.” Bela says.

“Cass went on a cleaning rampage but then caught a maid trying to sneak into her bedroom so you wouldn’t have known she cleaned down there.”

Alcina shakes her head. “They never learn, do they?”

“Well that one certainly isn’t going to do that ever again.” Bela says.

“Or anything ever again for that matter.” Daniela adds.

“Thank you girls, I appreciate your help.”

“Of course, Mamă.” Daniela says before kissing Alcina on the cheek.

“Anytime, mother.” Bela says, kissing Alcina on her other cheek.

The girls swarm off and Alcina stands up and you follow her inside. She leads you to a door you’re unfamiliar with and unlocks it. Immediately the musty smell hits you and your anxiety starts to kick in.

“Quiet your heart, draga. I will be with you the entire time, there is nothing to fear.” She kneels down to your height and runs her gloved fingers through your hair. “I won’t leave your side, or let go of your hand the entire time we’re down there if you don’t want me to, okay? And I promise I won’t leave you in here.” She says with a smirk.

“Okay.” You say. She nods and leans in and kisses you before standing back up.

“Pull the door closed behind you, please. The last thing I need is for a Moroaică to get loose in my castle. I will lead the way down.” You nod at her and she starts to descend the stairs. Closing the door behind you, you follow Alcina down the spiral steps into the basement.

“These stairs will lead us down to where the storage rooms are, I will lead you through the safer areas first before taking you to the dungeon and distillery.”

The winding staircase is dark despite the torches that line the walls. The lower you descend, the cooler and damper the air around you gets. Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Alcina reaches out her hand and you take it in yours as you climb down the last few steps. She takes you through some of the storage rooms. Where extra dried goods and spices are kept for the kitchen, where extra fabrics are stored for the seamstress that takes care of the maids' uniforms. As you walk further into the basement you notice just how damp and gross it is.

“I apologize for the environment. The full basement is nearly the size of the castle and it is impossible to keep every area dry.”

“It’s okay, I get it.”

Walking up to a wooden door, Alcina knocks before opening it.

“Cassandra? Are you in here?”

“What do you want?” An aggravated voice calls from somewhere in the room.

Alcina’s eyes fill with sadness and she closes them before taking a breath and grounding herself.

“I am showing Y/N the dungeon and distillery. May we come in?”

“Whatever.”

She nods at you to follow her and she ducks through the door. The second you enter the room you’re hit in the face with the smell of blood and death. It’s a horrible smell and you instinctively cover your mouth and nose.

“I’m sorry, I forgot how unpleasant the smell can be.”

“It’s okay.”

“This is the dungeon.”

Looking around, you see cells lining the brick walls. The iron bars are rusted and some are jagged. As you walk closer it looks like there are slash marks against the cells and you examine them for a moment.

“The Moroaică don’t have the best eyesight, but they have a phenomenal sense of hearing and smell. When they smell people in the cells they try to attack the cages with their swords and sickles. Obviously, they don’t do nearly enough damage to break in but they do a wonderful job at keeping the prisoners in line and frightened. They also act as a deterrent so whoever is in the cells think twice about trying to escape.” She says as she walks past a cell and stops and stares into it. “Isn’t that right?” She asks into the cell and a wicked smile crosses her face.

Walking up to the cell you see a maid cowering in the corner. She must have been down here for weeks. Her dress and skin are filthy and she’s covered in cuts, bite marks and blood.

“Y-y-yes, m-m-mistress.” She stammers as she trembles.

“Now, now, what have you done to land yourself here, little one?” Alcina asks in almost a sweet voice but the edge she has makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“I-I accidentally made the bath water too c-cold for Miss Daniela. It was an accident, I swear. B-but Miss Daniela was angry - a-as she s-should be. I-I know the cold c-can be painful for the l-l-ladies of the castle. S-so she b-brought me down here. She said i-if s-she can’t enjoy a bath, neither can I. I-I fully a-accept my punishment, m-my Lady. I-I am at the mercy of y-you and y-your daughters.”

Alcina stares at the girl for a moment before tilting her head at her.

“Pity.” She says as she shrugs her shoulders and continues her tour.

Looking back at the girl once more, you can see the fear in her eyes. She’s been down here for a very long time. It’s not often that maids who are kept down in the dungeon for a long period of time like that are ever let out. At first you were surprised that Daniela had brought the girl down to the dungeon for something so small but then again when you first met her, she was almost too eager to take a bite out of you. So maybe it wasn’t that surprising at all. She’s pretty sadistic, not as sadistic as Cassandra, but still.

Alcina stops in front of one of the open cells and you hear something inside of it. When you look in you see Cassandra cleaning what looks like a medieval torture device. It was a large plank of wood with metal spikes sticking out of it. There were five leather straps hanging from it, you could only imagine that their purpose was for keeping the head, arms and legs of whatever unfortunate soul that was strapped to that still.

The sight made your stomach churn as you looked around the cell. There were buckets of gore and blood scattered about, one was knocked over and whatever spilled out of it was some kind of internal organ you couldn’t pinpoint. Alcina puts her arm around your shoulder to reassure you and you lean into her a little.

“What are you doing, bug?” She asks Cassandra.

“I’m not talking to you.” She says.

“Cassandra-”

“Just finish giving her the tour and leave.”

Alcina sighs and you can tell she feels defeated. It’s been a week since the meeting and Cassandra is still angry at her. You understand why she was angry, but her anger is misplaced.

“Come, draga. Let's continue.” Alcina says, gently tugging at your hand.

Alcina ducks through another door and the smell of blood only gets stronger. Right away you notice multiple, things, wrapped in tarps hanging from the ceiling. You can only imagine what was wrapped in them given what Alcina had said earlier and because there were gigantic barrels of blood underneath each strung-up tarp.

“This is the distillery. I’m sure you can imagine what goes on in here.”

As she walks further into the room you hear a moan and turn around to see something walking out of the shadows in the corner. Freezing, you watch as the creature comes into the light. It’s scraggly with gray-purple skin. It was covered in scraps of cloth and a hood. A Moroaicǎ. Its head turns towards you and it hisses. Inside its mouth you see rotted teeth and it begins to limp in your direction. The Moroaicǎ is dragging a massive sword behind it. As it walks closer it begins to raise its sword as if it’s going to attack you. You feel your nerves picking up and you think to yourself “it won’t hurt me. Alcina said it won’t.” It gets closer and closer and it looks like it’s about to swing.

Alcina growls and you hear her claws unsheath before she steps in front of you and slashes at it. The Moroaicǎ falls to the floor into pieces.

“Absolutely useless.” She mumbles. “I apologize draga, they are not supposed to come after you but not all of them are as intelligent. This is precisely why I don’t want you coming down here by yourself.”

“That thing is terrifying.”

“They are rather unpleasant. But they are good guards. That is what happens when the maids don’t react well with the cadou but don’t outright die.”

“So if I got it and didn’t react well…”

Alcina sighs and places her arm on your shoulder.

“Yes. You could turn into that. Or worse.”

“What’s worse?”

“It doesn’t happen often, but the cadou can cause maids to uncontrollably mutate. The ones that are unfortunate enough to experience that are quickly euthanized.”

Alcina brings you around the distillery for a little longer before you’ve seen enough and ask to head back. Making your way back to the dungeon, Cassandra is mopping the blood-stained floor. As you walk past, Cassandra looks up and sees the scar on your neck and her eyes grow wide.

“Where are we going next?” You ask Alcina.

“I need to grab something from one of the nearby rooms, the Room of Sorrow.”

“Room of Sorrow?”

“Yes, there’s something I have to get in there before I take you to our next stop.”

“Okay, can I stay here and talk to Cass?”

“Of course, draga.” She says, cupping your face with her hand. “Cassandra, can you please lead her back upstairs?”

“Whatever.”

Alcina nods at you and walks out. You take a seat on one of the stools near Cassandra as she mops.

“What do you want?” She asks.

“I wanted to see how you are. I heard you haven’t been to a meal all week.”

“So what?”

“I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”

“Peachy.”

“Cass.”

“What? Why do you even care?”

“Because I care about you, stupid! What’s going on? Why are you giving your mom the third degree?”

“Because she almost killed you! I can’t believe you’re walking around with her as if she didn’t almost fucking kill you a week ago.”

“Cass, it wasn’t her fault.”

“Bullshit.”

“It really wasn’t. She’s not in control when she’s in that state. She told me that she was screaming, trying to get the dragon to stop but she couldn’t do anything. It wouldn’t stop.”

“I don’t believe that she can’t control it and I don’t believe that she can’t say no to Mother Miranda.”

“Why? What makes you so sure that she’s doing all of this on purpose?”

“Because I can control my flies, I can say no to Mother Miranda. If I can there’s no reason she can’t!”

“Cass, I don’t think any of it works like that. Her dragon and your flies are so different. You’ve seen her wings, according to her that’s not even a quarter of her full transformation. Your flies are a part of you, your mother’s dragon is an entirely different being that coexists within her. And the relationship between you and Miranda is so much different than your mom and Miranda. Miranda saved your moms life. You know she was dying before she met Miranda, right? That she promised her eternal life, power and beauty?”

“Yeah, and Miranda fucking lied to her and she still went along with it.”

“She didn’t have a choice! Miranda put a cognition control device into her once she realized your mom didn’t immediately die.”

“What?”

“She never told you?”

“No?”

“Oh, shit. I didn’t know she never told you. Please don’t repeat this, but yes. She did. When your mom first turned it was really hard for her to disobey Miranda’s control. But luckily your mother retained enough of her own cognition so after some time she was able to control how much influence Miranda really had over her. But in the beginning it was really difficult.”

“So she shouldn’t have an excuse now!”

“That’s not how that works and you know it. Listen, yes, your mother can disobey the influence Miranda has over her, but that doesn’t mean she can tell her to go to hell. She’s still a Lord of the village and Miranda still has full control of it. Even though she doesn’t want to, she still has to obey her to a certain extent.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“But it’s reality. She can’t, and I think deep down you know she can’t but you don’t want to imagine Miranda having that much control over your mother. And listen, I get it. I hate it that she does. And yes, I’m sure your mom was blind to a lot of the abuse Miranda subjected her to, hell she still might be, but I think now she’s seeing more clearly than ever. You just need to be patient Cass. Give her some slack, she’s trying. And it’s really upsetting her that you haven’t spoken to her or been at dinner.”

“She told you that?”

“She didn’t have to. Just look at her when you speak to her the way you have been, it’s breaking her heart. She doesn’t want to push you because you’re not as forthcoming with your emotions as Dani is, but she loves you and it’s making her sad.”

Cass looks down at her feet and you can tell that it upset her knowing that she was the cause of her mother’s sadness.

“I didn’t want to make her sad.”

“I know. But you need to give her more slack. I get that you’re angry about what happened at the meeting but she really wasn’t in control. Miranda coaxed the dragon out to take control because Miranda wanted your mom to kill me in her arms while she knew your mother was helpless and couldn’t do anything to stop it. She wanted your mom to watch me die as her dragon killed me. It was Miranda’s fault, not your moms. And it really upset and pissed your mom off that Miranda did that. She’s not as happy and smitten with her as you think, Cass. Your mom is sick of Miranda. But you said it yourself, Miranda is strong, crazy strong, so your mom can’t just go after her. She has to be careful and strategic.”

“Miranda really wanted to torture mother that badly? To make the dragon kill you in mother’s arms so mother couldn’t do anything about it?”

“Yes.”

“She’s fucking evil.”

“She definitely is. But you understand, at least more now, right? That it wasn’t all your moms fault? She really did try to save me and I was able to get the dragon to stop.”

“How? How did you get it to stop?”

“I remembered you said that blood tastes sweeter when the person you’re feeding from is frightened, so I relaxed and gently asked it to stop. I had no idea if it was going to work but I got lucky. According to your mother, the dragon only ever responded to Miranda before. But when it noticed what it did to me, it rejected Miranda. It growled and snarled at her and protected me from her.”

“Did it really?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. Mom doesn’t talk much about her dragon, she fucking hates it honestly.”

“I know, and I’m working on getting her to be kinder to it. It’s going to take some time, but I think it’s possible.”

“You’re fucking insane.”

“Probably. So, are you still angry with your mom?”

“Not as much, I didn’t realize Miranda brainwashed her for so long. I’m still mad that it happened, but I guess I’m not as mad at mom anymore.”

“Well, that’s a good start. Wanna head back upstairs? I can’t go by myself, one of the Moroaicǎ tried to come after me in the distillery so your mom really doesn't want me walking around here alone.”

Cassandra shakes her head and chuckles. “Man, they are the dumbest creatures. They’re worse than lycans.”

“I believe it.” You say with a laugh.

Cassandra leads you through the basement and up a different set of stairs than the ones you and Alcina came down. When she opens the door, you realize you’re near the main hall.

“I’m in here, girls.” You hear Alcina call from the main hall.

You and Cassandra walk into the hall to find Alcina sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine in her hand.

Cassandra sits next to her mother and leans her head on her arm. Alcina looks down at her daughter with a warm smile on her face.

“I’m sorry mom.” Cassandra mumbles.

“It’s alright, draga mea. Just please, next time you’re upset, please come and speak with me. Okay?”

“I will. I promise. Te iubesc, mamă.”

(I love you, mom.)

“Și eu te iubesc, fiica mea.” Alcina says as she wraps her arm around Cassandra and kisses her on the head.

(I love you too, my daughter.)

The two of them sit like that for a minute before Cassandra wiggles out of her mothers grasp. She kisses her on the cheek and swarms back down into the basement. Alcina watches Cassandra until she’s out of sight and her gaze lingers there for a few more moments. Her eyes shift towards you and she smiles.

“I don’t know how you do it, draga mea. No one has ever been able to get through to her the way you are able to.”

“I don’t know, I just talk to her. I meet her where she’s at and try not to push her too much.She’s a good kid. She’s so fiercely protective of you Alcina. She loves you so much.” You say as you sit next to her.

“I know, I know.” Alcina says with a sigh as she wraps her around you and kisses you on the top of your head. She sighs into you and you cuddle into her. When you open your eyes, you see masks sitting on the end table next to the couch.

“What are those?”

“Ah,” Alcina says, reaching for the masks. “These are the keys to get into the Tower of Worship.”

“The Tower of Worship?”

“Yes, there’s something in there I want to show you. Shall we?”

“Sure!”

Alcina stands up and leads you through a set of double doors and you enter the Hall of Four. She walks around the faceless statues, placing a mask on each one. When she places the last mask on the final statue you hear gears turning and the door behind the statues swings open. Alcina takes your hand in hers and the two of you walk through the short hall and through the second door.

The second set of doors opens up to the outside, a large stone bridge leading to a set of stairs that takes you up to what you can only assume is the Tower of Worship. The view from the bridge is stunning. On either side you can see the vast, mountainous Romanian landscape. Walking up to the ledge, you take in your surroundings with Alcina at your side. The two of you sit in a comfortable silence as you admire the scenery around you.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s absolutely stunning.”

“One day I will show you the view from the castle roof. If you think this is beautiful, that will truly take your breath away.” She says before smiling down at you.

“I’d love to see it.” You say as you smile back up at her.

“Then it shall be done. Come, my love. We mustn't dawdle any longer.”

You give her a nod and walk with Alcina up the stairs. When the two of you reach the top she opens the doors to the tower and you walk in. The inside of the Tower of Worship looks like what was once a small church, now abandoned. The pews are scattered and covered in a thick layer of dust. The altar is pushed to the side and the stained glass windows are filthy but the sunlight still manages to peek through the dirt. In the back of the room against the three main window’s sits a coffin.

The closer the two of you get to the coffin, the tighter Alcina holds your hand. She’s nervous in a way you’ve never seen before, it’s like she grows more frightened with each step you take.

When you finally get up to it you notice the Dimitrescu coat of arms decorating the lid. Alcina traces her fingers over the emblem before taking a deep breath and looking down at you.

“Who’s in there?” You ask.

“I don’t know his name, truthfully, I never cared to learn it. But this man entered the castle decades ago with a weapon, the only weapon of its kind and the only weapon that could really hurt or kill me. It was his goal, like many others before and after him, to rid the village and the world of a monster like me.”

“What was the weapon?”

Alcina looks down at the coffin and her breath shakes. In one swift motion she turns the lid of the stone coffin, revealing a rotting corpse inside. The smell of rotting flesh immediately hits you and you turn away for a second, trying to waft the rancid scent away. When you turned back you noticed that Alcina had taken a few steps back, as if she’s afraid to get too close to it. Looking down into the coffin, you see the corpse clutching a curved dagger.

“It’s called the Dagger of Death’s Flowers.” She says behind you. “It was forged in the Middle Ages, roughly a thousand years ago. It’s said the dagger has been infused with poisons and toxins found throughout Europe. It was created to kill monsters and demons like myself.”

You look down at the dagger in awe and caution, you don’t dare to reach out and touch it. Leaning over the coffin, you try and get a closer look at it.

“Is that, is that your coat of arms on the hilt?”

“Yes. I believe each symbol carved into it belongs to each demon or monster that was killed by the dagger. This man, the one who tried to kill me with it, engraved the Dimitrescu coat of arms prematurely.”

“Is it true? The rumors that it was laced with poison?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I was stupid and curious and pricked my finger with the tip of the blade after I killed the man. The pain that spread through my body felt like lightning. It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my entire life, only second to when Miranda implanted the cadou inside of me. And the blade just barely pierced my skin. If I were to be stabbed with it I cannot imagine what would happen.”

“Why do you still have it? Why didn’t you destroy it?”

“Because it is still a threat to me. I wasn’t able to destroy it without interacting with it in some way and just pressing the blade against my skin without piercing it is incredibly painful. I couldn’t hide it in the mountain or throw it away without risking someone else finding it and using it against me. So I locked it up in here, with the man both brave and ignorant enough to think he was able to use it against me.”

“Who else knows about its existence?”

“Only myself, the girls, Mother Miranda and the Duke, I believe.”

“The Duke?” You ask, turning to face her.

“Yes.”

“Who is that?”

“Oh, that’s right. He was here when you,” Alcina pauses and looks to the side before looking back at you with guilt in her eyes. “A few weeks ago.”

“When I locked myself in my room?”

“Precisely. He is a merchant, one of the, if not the best, that comes through town every few weeks. He’s actually due for a visit soon. Anyway,” she says, shaking her head. “The dagger is what I am truly afraid of. May I close it up?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.”

Alcina strides towards the casket and slides the lid back into place. She makes it look effortless but you know if you tried to move that by yourself there’s a good chance you wouldn’t even be able to get it to budge.

“So what would happen if you were to actually get stabbed with it? Would it instantly kill you?”

“I don’t believe so. But it will halt my regeneration abilities, making me susceptible to any attacks. When I pricked my finger with the tip of it it took days for my regeneration abilities to return to normal. They didn’t cease, but they were significantly slowed. It also affected my ability to control the dragon inside of me. The dagger not only hurt myself but hurt it as well and I felt it thrashing against its cage trying to get out. I needed a significant amount of blood to restore myself. If I were to be penetrated with the full blade, or perhaps even half of it, it would be devastating to me and render me extremely vulnerable.”

“So if your regeneration abilities stopped, you could die?”

“Exactly. Essentially, the reason for my immortality is my regeneration abilities. If it was stopped or hindered in any way, I could die from an attack. I would still be able to take more damage than an average human would due to my size, but yes, enough stab wounds, gunshots or other attacks could certainly kill me.”

A shiver runs up your spine and you shake it off. You hate the fact that Alcina isn’t as immortal as you really thought. It terrifies you knowing that something so simple could be her downfall.

“I hate that that thing exists.” You say as you look away from the casket.

“So do I, draga. But it is locked away and is safe.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I promise.” She says, running her gloved fingers through your hair. “Some have tried to get the dagger but only one person out of the near dozen was able to collect just one of the masks to unlock the door before being caught.” She tucks a strand behind your ear and cups your face, guiding it up towards her.

“Okay.”

Alcina smiles and bends down to your level.

“It is locked away and I am safe from it, iubirea mea.”

With your face still in your hand, she pulls you in for a kiss. The moment your lips meet hers all of the anxiety you had melts away. Sighing into her touch, you wrap your arms around her neck and deepen the kiss. Her tongue brushes across your lips and you part them, allowing her entrance into your mouth. As your tongues intertwine a small moan emerges from the back of your throat and into her mouth. Alcina lowers herself to the ground more so both of her knees are on the stone floor. With her free hand she pulls at the back of your leg and you follow her lead, wrapping your legs around her waist. Her hand leaves your leg and cups your ass, holding you tightly against her.

The kiss grows more passionate, more intense and Alcina bites down on your bottom lip. She doesn’t draw blood but you still let out a moan as she pulls your lip between her teeth. You dive back into the kiss, tangling your fingers into her hair and you give the hair on the back of her head a small pull. Alcina growls into your mouth and she tightens her grip on you.

The two of you break apart to catch your breath and your lips trail down her jaw and to her neck. You start kissing and sucking the column of her neck, biting down at her pulse point. To your pleasant surprise, Alcina lets out a moan when you do that and you continue to suck and kiss at the spot.

Alcina throws her head back as you mark up her neck, she can feel her chest heaving and an ache in her core begins to grow. When you bite down on her pulse point again she lets out a louder moan and her eyes roll into the back of her head. She’s about to push you to the ground and take you here and now until she opens her eyes and remembers the two of you are still in the Tower of Worship. Rolling her eyes, she lifts her head and cups your face, guiding you away from her neck to face her.

You follow Alcina’s hands as they guide you back up and your kiss-swollen lips meet hers once more. This kiss was softer, still passionate, but less intense. She pulls away a bit but stays close enough where her lips are still brushing against your as she speaks.

“I would want nothing more than to take you right here on this floor, draga mea. However I feel this tower is less than ideal to do so in.”

You didn’t even realize you were clenching around nothing until this minute. You can feel the wetness in between your legs and you too would want nothing more than to have her fuck you here and now, but she’s right. You nod your head in agreement and Alcina takes in a breath through her nose and slowly exhales. Her warm breath on your face is soothing but also just makes you want her more.

“Mmm, you smell delightful iubirea mea.” She whispers.

You smile in response and rub your nose against hers. She rests her forehead against yours and the two of you sit in a comfortable silence for a minute, just enjoying being in each other's arms.

“I missed you.” You whisper, breaking the silence.

“I missed you so much, iubirea mea. I am so sorry you keep getting hurt and we keep losing time together. I will make it up to you, I promise.”

“It’s not your fault, Alcina. It’s okay. But I would love to spend some time with you.” You say.

With one last kiss the two of you part and stare into each other’s eyes. Her gold irises are sparkling in the afternoon sun as if they were made with glitter. What you wouldn’t give to be able to spend the rest of your life looking into them.

Alcina bites her bottom lip and looks away. She has a bashful look on her face and you can’t help but chuckle.

“What?”

She doesn’t look up at you as she chews on her bottom lip for a moment. You can see the wheels turning in her head. She releases her lip from her teeth and she takes a breath before adjusting her posture and sitting up straight. Her eyes meet yours once more. There’s a vulnerable look in her eyes that you don’t get to see all that often but it makes your heart melt every time.

“Would you,” she begins to say before her eyes flicker down and back up to yours. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

The small smile you were sporting grows into a full grin.

“I would love to.”

Alcina releases a breath as if she was relieved and smiles back at you. You don’t dare to point it out, even though you want to. It’s not easy for her to be vulnerable with you and you know how hard it can be, even still, for her to express her vulnerability. If anything, you find it absolutely adorable that she thought for even a second you would say no. There’s a part of you that worries that maybe she doubted it because you haven’t shown her enough love, but the more realistic side of you knows she’s just traumatized from her past and hasn’t done something like this - and wasn’t rejected by someone - in a long, long time.

“Wonderful. I shall plan a lovely evening for us.”

“I am very excited. Have we been on a proper date before?”

Alcina thinks for a moment before furrowing her brows and tilting her head.

“Truthfully, draga. I’m not sure. But whatever happened, or didn’t happen then, was then. This date will mark a new chapter of our newly rekindled love.”

“That sounds perfect.” You say before kissing her.

When the kiss ends she lets go of you and your feet slide back down to the ground. Alcina stands up, brushes off her dress and reaches out for your hand. Taking her large hand in yours, the two of you walk out of the Tower of Worship and back into the castle.

Alcina closes the doors and begins to remove the masks from the statues.

“So when are we going to go on this date?” You ask.

“Hm, well, I would like some time to plan something perfect, which shouldn’t take very long. And tomorrow night I have to go out and search for the hunters. I’ve put it off for long enough and it cannot wait any longer.”

A knot forms in the pit of your stomach and Alcina notices the worried look plastered across your face.

“Do not fret, draga mea. I will not engage with any hunters I come across unless I absolutely have to.”

“What if they have weapons that are made of the same thing as that dagger?”

“Oh, iubirea mea.” She says before walking over to you and bending down to your height. “I promise you, that dagger is the only one of its kind in existence. If it weren’t, nearly every intruder who has come here to try and kill me would have one.” She cups your face and caresses your cheek with her thumb. “I promise, none of their weapons can harm me. Even if a grenade were to go off in my hands, it would certainly hurt and do damage, but not nearly enough to stop me. Please don’t fret about it.”

“Okay.” You say as you nod your head.

Alcina kisses your forehead and stands back up. She walks over to the final statue and removes the mask. You can hear the gears shift in the door behind you and after a few seconds you hear it lock.

“So how about two nights from now?”

“Sure, that would be perfect. As long as you’re okay with doing it the night after you go out.”

“That will not be an issue, iubirea mea. Then it’s set. Two nights from now you and I will go on a date.”

“I’m excited to see what you come up with.”

“I have a few ideas I believe you will be more than pleased with.” She says with a smirk and a wink. “I am going to return the masks to their places. I believe lunch will be served soon, I should be back by the time the bells ring.”

“Okay!”

“Te iubesc.” She whispers before bending down to kiss you.

“I love you too.” You whisper back.

“Now please try and keep yourself out of trouble while I’m gone.” She says, shooting you a wink as she walks away.

“I make no promises.” You quip.

Alcina playfully rolls her eyes and tries her best to hide the smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.

Not long after the lunch bell rings. You make your way into the dining room and are met by two swarms. Bela and Daniela appear and sit in their seats. Looking over at Cassandra’s empty chair, you can’t help but feel your heart sink a little. Maybe you didn’t get through to her as much as you thought you did after all.

A minute later Alcina ducks through the door and greets you and the girls. She sees Cassandra’s empty chair and you see a sadness glaze over her eyes before she masks it. Alcina sits in her chair and elegantly places her napkin over her lap. She takes a sip of her wine and just as she’s about to speak, the doors open and a swarm of flies enters the dining room.

Cassandra emerges from it and takes her seat. You look over at Alcina and you see her eyes light up with happiness. Bela and Daniela also have smiles on their faces when they see their sister enter the dining room. For the first time in a while, your whole family is together again. Your heart feels so full it might burst.

“Sorry I’m late, the bells are hard to hear in the dungeon.” Cassandra says.

“It’s alright, draga, no need to fret.” Alcina says with a smile.

Lunch is served and all of you dig into your meals. Bela, Cassandra and Daniela laugh and joke and bother each other as they usually do. Alcina halfheartedly scolds them while trying to hide her smile or her laughter behind her drink. It was the first family meal in a long time where everything finally felt normal and you couldn’t be more grateful for it.

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